Engine-starter.



E. E. BUTTON.

ENGINE STARTER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.10, 1913.

, 1 1 5,4 2, Patented 0011.27, 1914.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELIYIER ELLSWORTI-I DUTTON, OF PORT HURON, MICHIGAN.

ENGINE-STARTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 10, 1913. Serial No. 741,303.

Patented Oct. 2'7, 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ELMER E. DUTTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Port Huron, in the county of St. Clair and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engine Starters, of which the following is a specification.-

The invention'relates to an improvement in enginestarters, being particularly di-- of the operator leaving his seat, the mechanism automatically compensating for backfire. I

The invention in the preferred details of construction will be described in the following specification, reference being had particularly to the accompanying drawings, in

which Figure 1 is a view in elevation, partly in section, showing the invention in use with the engine of an automobile. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevation of the driving ratchet and connec- "tions. F ig.4 is a vertical section ofthe same. i Fig. 5 is a sectional view partly in elevation of the engine-connected .driven member. Fig. 6 is. a horizontal sectional view of the same. Fig. 7 is a section on line 7'-7 of Fig. 4. I

' Referring particularly to the accompanying drawings, it will be noted that my improved starter is shown as applied to an an tomobile engine, as such constitutes its main use, but it 1s to be understood that I con-. template the-use of the invention with an explosive engine for marine, stationary, aerolane, or other use, and reserve the right to 1ncorporate such changes in the details specifically described herein as will adapt the essential features of the invention for such use.

In adapting the invention for automobiles I secure to an appropriate part 1 of the automobile frame, a plate 2, preferably riveting or otherwise rigidly securing the plate in place, as at 3. The plate includes a rectan- .1lar box-like projection 4 in which is slidably mounted a block 5, said block being adjustable lengthwise of the box through a screw 6, threaded through the block. The specific adjustment described is designed as a conventional showing only, any desired type of adjusting means being contemplated.

Rigidlysupported by or formed integral with the block 5 is a stub shaft 7, designed to support the driving elements of the starter. The driving elements constitute a ratchet wheel '8 and a sprocket wheel 9, the former of materially greater diameter than the latter and both. loosely mounted upon the. shaft. The ratchet 8 is peripherally formed with a series of teeth 10 and mounted for pivotal or swinging movement on the. shaft between the ratchet and plate 2, are arms 11, the ends of which extend beyond the toothed edge of the ratchet and are longitudinally slotted at 12 .to receive the bearing pin 13 of operating dogs 14:.

- The .dogs are. each formed with a series of teeth 15 arranged to cooperate with the teeth I of the ratchet.

- The sprocket wheel 9, which is also loosely mounted upon the stub shaft 7 is adapted for interlocking connection with the ratchet wheel, upon rotation of the latter in one direction, the proximate fac'esof the ratchet and sprocket being formed with cooperating clutch members 16, for this purpose. The clutch members are illustrated as interlocking tooth surfaces, causing the ratchet and sprocket to rotate together in movement of the ratchet in one direction, and to operate free of such interlocking upon rotation in the opposite direction. The relatively outer face of the sprocket is formed with a hollow cylindrical rojection 17 housing a spring 18, arranged to encircle the shaft 7 and bear between the sprocket wheel 9 and a nut 19 adjustable on the shaft, whereby to vary the tension of the spring to control the clutch connection as will be obvious. Fixed upon-the shaft 7 at one side of the ratchet wheel are arms 20 projecting radially of the ratchet and terminally provided with pawls 21 setto cooperate with the teeth of the ratchet to prevent retrograde movementthereof in the operation of the device.

" For the manual control of the device, I

mount a lever 22 within reach of the driver,

preferably pivoting the same on abracket secured to the floor in advance of the drivers seat, the lower end of the lever pro]ect1ng through an opening in the floor. To the lower end of the lever are secured what may be termed the rear ends of two operating bars :23 and 24, theforward ends of which are secured to the dogs 14. A spring 25 connects the bars adjacent the ratchet serving to hold the dogs in engagement with the ratchet, the pawls 21 being preferably weighted so that they will gravitate into ratchet engaging position. The dogs oppositely engage the ratchet and are appropriately formed so that in either forward or rearward movement of the handle end of the lever one of the dogs will engage and operate the ratchet, the remaining dog riding free.

Mounted upon the crank shaft 26 of the engine, or preferably upon a short shaft extension 2-? secured to the engine shaft, is a disk head 28, carrying a series of pivotally mounted pawls 29, the head being suitably recessed at 30 to receive the pawls when the latter are in inoperative position. Surrounding the head, and rotatably supported upon the shaft extension is a driven member 32, said member being held against end wise separation from the head by a securing means as 31. The driven member is formed to provide an interior ratchet 33, to 006perate with the pawls 29, and an exterior sprocket wheel. From the above description it will be obvious that in the rotation of the driven member in one direction said member is locked to the engine crank shaft through the head, and free of such shaft in rotation in the opposite direction. A sprocket chain 35 connects the sprockets 9 and 34, passing over idlers 36 mounted in the bracket 37 secured to the frame 1, thereby changing the direction of the sprocket chain as is necessary.

In use when desiring to crank the engine the operator reciprocates the handle end of the lever thereby rotating the ratchet. As in this operation the ratchet moves in a direction to interlock with the sprocket, the latter" is operated and transmits motion through the chain to the driven member, rotating the latter in a direction to interlock with the head and so turn the crank shaft.

It is noted that the reciprocation of the lever through the connections intermediate said lever and ratchet will operate the ratchet in the same direction in both the forward and rearward movement of the lever, enabling the operator to turn over the engine with little ditliculty. When the engine starts from its own power a rapid movement is imparted to the head so that disconnection of the head from the driven member occurs and the movement is not transmitted to the lever. In the event of back firing the ratchet wheel 8, being held stationary by the dogs or pawls 21 causes the strain of such movement to be taken up by the sprocket, which at once breaks the clutch connection between it and the ratchet by overcoming the tension of the spring 18, thereby overcoming any danger to the mechanism or operator from this source.

What is claimed is 1. An engine starter including a driving member comprisinga ratchet wheel, a sprocket wheel, and an intermediate clutch member, an operating lever, arms projecting therefrom, connections intermediate the arms and ratchet wheel to continuously rotate the ratchet in the reciprocation of the arm, a driven member connected to the engine shaft and including ahead fixed to the shaft, a combined ratchet and sprocket wheel loosely encircling the head, and dogs carried by the head to engage the ratchet, and a sprocket chain uniting said sprocket wheels, and means for adjusting the driving member as an entirety with relation to the driven member to tension the sprocket chain.

2. An engine starter including a driving member, a driven member, and a sprocket chain uniting said members, said driving member including a ratchet wheel, a sprocket wheel, an intermediate clutch member, arms rotatably mounted upon the axis of the ratchet Wheel and extending diametrically ofsaid wheel, operating bars movably connected to the terminals of the arms, dogs connected to the bars and engaging the ratchet wheel, and means to simultaneously actuate the bars in the same direction.

3. An engine starter including a driving member, a driven member, and a sprocket chain uniting said members, said driving member including a ratchet wheel, a sprocket wheel, an intermediate clutch mem her, arms rotatably mounted upon the axis of the ratchet wheel and extending diametrically of said Wheel, operating bars movably connected to the terminals of the arms, I

dogs connected to the bars and engaging the ratchet wheel, a spring uniting the bars to maintain-the dogs normally in contact with the teeth of the ratchet wheel, and means to simultaneously actuate the bars in the same direction.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ELMER ELLSVVORTH DUTTON. Witnesses:

OTTO R. CIs Y, I)AVID CRo'MAR. 

